Theresa May visited Nishkam Primary School Birmingham today, where she praised pupils, staff and the community who are closely involved with the pioneering free school.

The Prime Minister spent time in the classroom with eight-year-old pupils who demonstrated their knowledge of an artist, Henri Rousseau, and discussed JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books with her.

Talking to Dr. Brinder Singh Mahon, Chief Executive of Nishkam School Trust, the multi-academy trust operating the school, the Prime Minister commented that she was inspired by the strong values education upon which the school is based and by the warm, family-like atmosphere within the school.

Bhai Sahib, Bhai (Dr.) Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia, who is the patron and visionary behind Nishkam School Trust said, “We are living in new global contexts, with new global challenges. These require a mind-set centred on values and virtues, along with a keen sense of shared responsibility. Our vision at Nishkam School Trust is to help nurture such a mind-set, enabling our future society to advance and flourish for the benefit of all.”

Mr. Terry Green, Chair of Directors of Nishkam School Trust commented, “On behalf of pupils, parents, staff and the entire community behind Nishkam School Trust, may I thank the Prime Minister for recognising the contribution our multi-faith Sikh ethos school is making to the educational and spiritual life of pupils in this part of Birmingham.”

Ms. Ruby Kundi, Headteacher, added, “We are very grateful for government policy which has allowed the Department for Education to give us this opportunity and responsibility to make a difference to each and every pupil in all of our schools.”

Nishkam Primary School Birmingham (NPSB) is located in Handsworth, an inner-city area of northwest Birmingham. It opened in September 2011 as part of the country’s first wave of free schools. The school is part of a cluster of developments serving to regenerate the local area by combining social innovation with heritage conservation.

Nishkam Primary School Birmingham is currently judged to be ‘Outstanding’ in all categories by OFSTED, an accolade shared by three of the four schools in the Nishkam School Trust.

Last week the three main parties in Britain and Northern Ireland released their manifestos. It seems that the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour all agree that the key areas of policy for a future government will be: the economy, housing, healthcare and Brexit.  With two weeks to go until the general election on 8^th June, here is a quick look at how the three main parties compare on the key policies.

On the economy, all three parties are in agreement that more needs to be done to encourage growth and investment. Whilst the Conservatives wish to lower taxes and improve corporate governance, the Liberal Democrats and Labour wish to provide proper scrutiny of big companies and ensure that those who can afford to are paying an appropriate amount of tax, through a 1p increase in income tax as proposed by the Liberal Democrats, or a 5% increase in income tax for those earning over £80,000 in the case of Labour. Both the Liberal Democrats and Labour would use the British Business Bank to provide investment and funds to small and developing businesses, whilst the Conservatives remained vague on how they wished to promote small business.

Brexit sees all three parties taking completely different stances. The Conservatives are in favour of a ‘hard Brexit’ meaning leaving the EU completely including the customs union and the single market, taking back control of immigration and leaving the European Court of Justice. They would also replace or amend laws that were implemented when the UK was part of the EU through a Great Repeal Bill. Labour wishes to leave the EU but go for a ‘soft Brexit’ meaning that Britain remains part of the customs union and the single market, but prevents freedom of movement. Labour would also seek to guarantee the rights of European citizens currently living in Britain, as well as the rights of British citizens currently living in Europe. The Liberal Democrats would remain in the single market, the customs union and allow for freedom of movement. They would also wish to hold a referendum on any deal signed between them and the EU, and allow the people the final say, giving them the chance to completely reject the deal and remain in the EU.

Healthcare is a big issue for many voters within the country, and considering the ageing population this is no surprise. It is also no surprise therefore, that all three parties have promised significant investment into the NHS. The Conservatives have promised £8 billion of investment throughout the next Parliament, with £1 billion of that going toward Mental Health funding. The Liberal Democrats would use the 1p increase in income tax to help increase funding for the NHS and A and E, they would also set up a cross party consultation group to assess how the NHS is performing and whether it needs to adapt and change, and if so how that change might be implemented. Labour would invest £30 billion into the NHS, and would invest heavily in GP services. They would also develop a Child’s Health Index to assess how healthy the children in the country are and how their health can be improved.

On housing, the three parties appear to vary between have clear cut and costed proposals and vagueness. The Conservatives promise to use the Homelessness Reduction Act to half homelessness by 2022, and to end homelessness completely by 2027. They would also seek to modernise the home buying process through increased emphasis on their ‘Help to Buy’ Scheme and increasing protection for renters through introducing procedures that make the renter the priority in law. The Liberal Democrats would seek to build 300,000 new houses by the end of the 2022 Parliament. They would use the Housing and Development bank to attract investment into the country for housing development. They would also introduce ‘Rent to Buy’ schemes to ease people into the housing market. Labour would build 100,000 new houses using brownfield sites, 4,000 of which would be for those with a history of rough sleeping. They would also reintroduce housing benefit for 18-21 year olds.

All three parties have provided fully detailed manifestos to go alongside these key policies, that are available on their websites. If you have not already done so, please do register to vote. And do remember to turn out on Thursday 8^th June, to get the government you want!

By Vivek Rajkhowa

Hot on the heels of the Hippodrome Theatre’s B-Side Festival of dance battles, graffiti and street arts, rap, live music and workshop, the genre continues to get its ‘props’ with another weekend of major celebration – in yet another internationally renowned arts venue.

Marked as ‘The UK’s Biggest Festival of Hip Hop Dance,’ Breakin’ Convention ‘17 will be bringing jaw-dropping performances from around the world and around the corner to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre with live performances from international crews including Soweto Skeleton Movers (South Africa), Just Dance (South Korea) and Tentacle Tribe (Canada). In addition local crews, DJs, graffiti art and freestyle jams will transform The REP’s foyer making it an experience rather than just a show.

Now in its 14^th year, it’s firmly established itself as one of the major highlights on the British dance calendar and one of the world’s greatest celebrations of hip hop culture, hosted and curated by the founder and Artistic Director of Jonzi D Projects and Breakin’ Convention Jonzi D who said: “This city’s hip hop scene is one of the best in the UK and whenever we’ve brought Breakin’ Convention there in the past, it’s always been hype!”

The festival line-up also includes Rhythm Junkiez Dance Company from Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham based companies Jigsaw Collective, Broken Silence, Marshon Cadets, 2014 UDO world street dance champions Street Dance Academy and Nuvo Origin.

The two day event - on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 June - is suitable for all ages.

Birmingham-based DriveSafe & StaySafe has called for increased safety education after new data have revealed that road traffic is the biggest killer of teenagers globally.

Road injury accounted for a tenth of more than 1.2 million deaths among 10 to 19 year olds worldwide in 2015, while in Britain in the same year road accidents killed 145 people and left 3,166 more seriously injured in the same age group, according to newly released World Health Organisation figures.

Most of the teenagers that were killed by road injuries are classed as “vulnerable” road users: pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

DriveSafe & StaySafe, a not-for-profit organisation that is campaigning for road safety education to be part of the UK national curriculum, recently completed the successful piloting of its new ‘Walking to School Safely’ early learning book featuring new safety heroes The Conies within 27 Birmingham primary schools.

Fay Goodman, Managing Director of DriveSafe & StaySafe, said: “It is tragic that so many teenagers are killed needlessly on the roads, with all the devastation this causes families and friends. We need to start now in educating children as young as four on how to keep safe and be aware of the environment around them, and in ensuring schools, colleges and all educational outlets continue to promote the message of how important it is to follow sensible road safety procedures.

“I would also like to see more government awareness campaigns to remind families of the dangers on the roads and the need for drivers to be more careful and conscious of children and young people around them.”

DriveSafe & StaySafe’s ‘Conies: Walking to School Safely’ pilot scheme proved so successful that teachers from all 27 schools in Yardley, Hall Green and Hodge Hill - locations identified in the 2016 Birmingham Road Safety Strategy as child accident ‘hot spots’ – reported that the lessons ‘made a 100% improvement in road safety awareness’.

Fay added: “We hope that the lessons the children learn in primary school about walking to school safely will stay with them when they reach secondary school and begin to walk to school unassisted and negotiate unfamiliar routes, and continue to remain with them to pass on to future generations. We all need to keep sending out the DriveSafe message of ‘Be Aware, Be Prepared, Be Responsible and Be Safe’.”

Following the explosion in Manchester last night, free App citizenAID has been highlighted as it is an app and pocket guide that has been developed to advise members of the public on what they can do if involved in a multiple casualty incident, including a bombing or a shooting. The simple system enables the public to keep safe and offers guidance on how to provide life-saving immediate aid for the injured around them.

citizenAID has been set up by a team of senior clinicians with military and civilian experience and is a part of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity. This deep experience of blast and gunshot injury has been gathered during recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and is the basis of the information provided in the guide. For more information please see citizenaid.org, where you will also find a public information film on immediate actions that will save lives in the aftermath of a bombing (this film carries a ‘discretion advised’ warning).

Professor Sir Keith Porter, co-author of citizenAID said, “The events in Manchester last night sadly highlight the need for everyone to be empowered with the knowledge that they may need if they are caught up in such an incident. The citizenAID app is free to download and I would encourage everyone to do so, and to familiarise themselves with its content.”

One of the aims of citizenAID is to give the younger generation the tools that they need to keep themselves safe and to help to treat others. The events of last night have once again highlighted the importance of this.”

Fast broadband, at least two toilets and off-road parking are among the features that have become essentials for many property buyers.

A new survey has revealed the top 20 things people look for in a new home, with central heating, double glazing and a garden unsurprisingly leading the way.

But more modern factors – such as a strong internet connection, clear mobile phone signal and enough living space for a large flat-screen television – are also priorities for buyers.

Kevin Shaw, national sales director at property specialist Leaders, says: “New technology and modern design standards have changed the way people think about the place they live and what they expect when buying a new home.

“Many people are looking for a property that boasts fast broadband and a good mobile phone signal, meaning sellers who can offer these should realise these factors have become a major selling point.

“It is also interesting to note that a strong performance when it comes to energy efficiency is another must for buyers. This shows the importance of investing in eco-friendly solutions such as solar panels, cavity wall insulation and a high-specification boiler.”

Other issues that were named by respondents to the Gocompare.com survey as among the 20 most important things in a new home included ample electric sockets, friendly neighbours, a driveway or dedicated parking space, secure doors and windows, a dining room and a bath.

Despite the modern feel of many of the answers, buyers still insisted that a landline telephone is also essential in any new property.

Kevin adds: “Efficiency, security and connectivity have overtaken aesthetic issues such as period features. How a home performs in these areas is likely to sway modern buyers so sellers are advised to prioritise such matters.”